Explosive shell or similar body.



F. NI. HALE. EXPLOSIVE SHELL 0R SIMILAR BODY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-24 I9I8 cation.

l FEEPEMGKMARTENHALE, 0F BEOMLEX, f

Aspecificationer Lettersratent: n

. lr'xrnosvnlsismrm orvsIMI/LAR nomi.l

Beit .knovvnf thatl, ,FBEDERIQK MARTN 'Herrera subject ofthe KigOfIGreai-Britaini and Ireland, and a .resident vof Bromley, in the county of. Kent, England, liaveainvented., certain n evvand. setnl- Improvements `in lor` Bertaining to Explosive Shells 01'. Similar Bodies,y of VWhichtheolloving isla specifi-j traveled a predeterminedldistance throlgh i the air,..to beLreleased-So as to be ,freeto ingpositionbyy ballsjgand -as being liberated @See f by the freeing-'lef fthe for-mer patent and* engaging indirectlyk with Ythe detonatorbyrmeans of. a '.,detonatorholderfin'the case ot the latterpatent. I

,New-:aeeerflig te :the -z'pfeeent invention, thebill reenneetien e dSPenSe-d withered sereW-epindlefedepted tebe retefedfby e Windfvaeetdevee l. and' ,ttllg-fin e -eerewseeket efthedeterletenWheh ,ie prevented tremsretetiug, ie adapted' te ree-the dete-r Iierter4 effen-.e predetermined number eef revolutions by being screvvedoutofgthesaid sockett.-l .To enablej they screw-,spindle yto ibe, by .,itsfnrotation by the AWind-.vane device, moved rearwardlyin relation tothebody ofthe shell so as not to afeotA-thexposition'of the 'detOllaQLf it preferably has-a corres loiomji-ingv `screw-connection with ethe body of the shell. gThev' screvvfspindle is preferably normally. held- .1 in 1 forward.. position by means of a safety -pin f which at.t the ysame time prevents the irotation ofthe Wind-vane device-H- In a shell constructed as 11st'- `described :also feo (constructed, Eas described in, the specification of i the aforesaid` LettersvPatent This 'inventlon relates toexplosive ,shell-s1 or .similar bodies (hereinafter .referred toV asfshells) intendedio charged Afrom. airc'rafal.and of the: type in: which fa vdetonatorgis, before theV .disfhlargeV of the shell,l arranged -.in rear. portion ofV theishell, and .is adapted, ivvhven .theV shell llas beV y dropped. or dis,.-`

move forwardfinrelatifontothe body lof .the

InK the specications of Letters .Patent of.

numbered 1,224,163, that. a tail-portion of the .shell iS ,fadaptedtorbe ,readily lconnectible and disconneetible lso .was i,t0 fenable a ldetonal tor normally carried separately',f1f(;am=.thel

shell to `be v.very quickly plaoedlinto ,position in jmediately vbefore nthelshell-is required for. use., it is necessary `te preventthee-immineof the screwespindle by l.the screvvingof the detonator ;too tightly home, atgg'ains`ii theadis?,

connectible .taiLp'ortionT and lit .is alsognecessary to preventJthe rotation ofgthed'etonatorf These ftvvo .purposes .I achieve ,by providing in.y the ldiscon-nectibletrail -gportion ya springY bolt land-.forming. a corresponding notch in tlliegdetonator .so .that ,when the detonator. `is screwed to thedesired extent21.1p onfthefscrevvY spindle, the springbolt enga-gesin lthenotch and so. prevents the ydetrmator -ITOm ,beitg screwed so.. far upon the ,screvvspinjdlelas to jam against theV detachabletailportion, and alsoprevents. ythe rotation'of the detonator in .relation to the .detachabletail Jportion. The notch, forthebolt, orgboth, is, .org are, .or may V .be, so formed vthat i after` thefbolt has first enteredthe .notch a further revolution orifurther revolutions of the detonator .in the directionforV screvvin'gitlipoll' thlSQeW- spindle :may l.beefeeted .s'o as to enable fthe bolt @to enter ,still ,farther .into 'the notcfli The beltfe, er Imy be, adapted tee by IPre- 'ecting radially outward from the detonator, to be'foreed backby bandito enable; the detonator to be'easily' screwed vof .'theffscrevv'f spiedle; eefmey bedeereblezit feiexample, after Tplacing the deteiatelfn .the Shell, 'the time@ @und unsuitable fer dwang-@r discharging Ythe shell.; I

` Inl `some cases,x .instead of making the screvvfspindlev' movable rearward, v,as kab'ove ratentegrnpr: 22;" 191119;VV

.spindle vto be istatonary longitdinally'of the tail portion and nfor .-thezdetonator Eto be releasedby being=1..`screwed xiorvvard-o fl' the screwfspindle' by Q the rotation of the latter. I

1n; this case .,I mayinaddition-to the spring L catch devicey above' [described,y employ a pinfand-slot devicexto preventthe rotation ofA theS detonator 1nntil'l yit has been Screwed completelyo the'cscrevvspindle.' i

. 'g-Itvvillbeobvions thatasan alternative the kspindle .Lmightfhave anf yinternally threaded .socket and fthefdetonator"have" a eerfeependgly formed '.Serevrthreededvpor'- f tion to engage, therewith, 'but `I Aprefer to enrlploygthe soolzeted .detonator `because suits" thei hereinbefore'described A'spring catch device for preventing Jamming and rotation of the detonator, A

The invention isillu'str'ated y'by the accom! panying drawings, of which liguijelfrepre-v sents in longitudinal section an example of f apshell constructed in accordance therewith, y

4,'whiohis prevented from rotating bythe means' hereinafter described, is adapted to free the detonator after' a predetermined number 'of-'revolutions by being screwed onty 3; vTo enable thescrew-spindle to'bejby itsrotation `by the ,wind-vane'de-` of Vthe 'socket vice,1moved Arearwardly in. relation to the body; of'` the shell, it 'has a screwthreaded portion 5 which lits in a'nut 6 secured Iby a screw' 7 in 'the' tail portionjS of the 'body' ofl the ishell, Vthe pitch' 'of the' screw-threaded portionffbeing like/that of the' scre w threaded'portion 'Qthatts in the socket 3.

The" screw-spindle '1' is normally held in its"V forward position'by means of va Safety pin l, 10, which also normallyffprevents the rota- 30" tion of'the'wind-vane vfdevice 2.;

v'To prevent the jaiinning vof the Vscrew-V c spindle' 1 'by the screwing A'of vthe `detona'torv 4 j too tightly home ,lagainstf the disconnect-,l ible tail portion 8 of the body of the shell,

-ajndf'also to prevent the rotation'ofntheidetonatorlf L1," there is Y provided' inj the disconnectib'letail'portion 8a spring'bolt 11p and a lcorresponding notch 12 is 'formed'in' the detonator 4l 'so VVthat whenj'the detonator is screwed tothe desired extent"uponthe"slcrevsnY spindle '1,v the spring bolt j11 engages inthe Vnot'chlQ and, so prevents'the detonator from being yscrewed so far uponthefscrew-spindle 1 as to j am against.l the detachable tail portion'S, 'and also preyents the rotation of the detonator in relation tothe det'achableftail both, is, or are, ormay be, so formed,' as by beyeling on "one side, that afterthe bolt has irstentered the notch a lfurther revolution or further revolutions ofthe detovn'a'toiv 4 inthedirection: for 'screwing it Iupon' the screw-spindle 1 maybe en'ected so'a's toV en# ,a able the bolt 1'1 to enterstill vfartherv in'to .thel notch '1.21,v Fig.' 2 'shows the 'catch 11 and the notch' 'i12 both 'beveled at one' side,.the

Y catch projeoting'i'nto the`- notchl 12` but not i y bevelsglof theieaitch antilla-of thefnotchA far enough to prevent*furtherrotationpf the Vdetonator 'on thejspindle; it jwill be 4'seen that on vfurther rotation of the detonator the notchlQ so 1211313 thefdetonator cairbefs-till `farther 'screwed upon the/spindle 1r until when the detonator will. beV .prevented -from further rotation inthe same direction and willbe secured ,against being screwed off 'the Yspindle hy"rotation 'in relation to the tailportiong," flfhe bolt 11 isshown to be adapted, by projecting radially outward from the detonator, to be forcexl back by hand toenablewthe detonator 4 to easily "screwedoffthe katreva-spin'dle 1, as may be desirable if, for example, afterplacing the detonator Ainthe" shell, the' time be ,found unsuitable' for dropping 'orf discharging the s helljw 15v is the fpxedrfringxpim 16a spring for "p revei'itingv the detonatorl from' creeping; forward duringtheldescent of the'shell into too jnearfpfroximity V,to the pink '15,jand 17 a spring catch@adapted` to engage Lwith the rear end ofthe'detonator and so prevent it' from rebounding when strikes` the-firing pin'l. j u A r *Inthe veXaIn'pIe shownin Fig. 3, the s 'crew`v spindle `lA isgstjationary longitudinally -of the tail portion' 8" and the detonator is' thus adapted to be released; by being lmoved' for- Wardfo'f'the'screw-spindle lby the rotation oftheV ylatter: infjthis casel there'is no screw connection between the Y'spindle 1 Aand the tail' portion 8, a cylindrical portiony ofthe spindle tting'in a bearing 18`which is se? cured therein vand which, to prevent longitudinal movement Y of the spii'idle'l,l bears at Y oneY en'd against'the' windlvane device2 fixed tothe spindle at -the'other end against afboss 119 `on'the .spindle'lj In'this example,

gitudinal 'slot 21 iii thedetonator toprevent' i the rotation of the -detonator until" it has-105 impact; 'inL thiszcase the spring 16"'may ad- *vantageonslyjbe* as shown,` maderso short asto'beir'ea'ched by fthedetonatronlyvr atV the end offitsim'oveiient produced bythe ro'- tation of the spindle 1 y l n *The sprin catch -'1Z fis in-thisexamplear-- ranged at right angles to the pinv20 so as not'to engagefin the groove-21. Y f

What -I claimiszf c y; llA shell adapted'to be'y di's'chared'from aircraft and comprisin a windfvane device rotatable in relation to ie body fof said shell, a spindle fixedgto said'device, a detonator having a screw-connection lwith said spindle andY adaptedto disengagedfrom said spindle byrotationl of said spindle in re1a` tion lto Y. said detonato'n and lmeans for prel f venting the rotation of sail detonator yin re-v the'bevelsl and '14 'have' passed eachother,

lationv to thebodyof saidfshell.' Y j in 'addition lto thesp'ring catch devicel 11,' v121100 abovejdescribed,Qthere'is employed a' device *Y 'oomprisinga pin 20'xed tof-the main portion of the shell and v'projecting into a 'l0`1`1- 1170 1 seq e ly explosion is"'causedf'sooner `after Y portion.l Thenotchr12, or the bolt 11, or

2. A shell adapted to be discharged from aircraft and comprising a Wind-vane device rotatable in relation to the body of said shell, a spindle fixed to said device and project-ing forward into the body of said shell, a detonator having a screw-connection With the forward end of said spindle and adapted to be disengaged from said spindle by r0- tation of said spindle in relation to said detonator, and means for preventing the rotation of said detonator in relation to the body of said shell.

3. A shell adapted to be discharged from aircraft and comprising a Wind-vane device rotatable in relation to the body of said shell, a detonator located Within said body and having an internally screw-threaded rear end portion, a spindle xed to said device and having an externally screw-threaded forward end portion tting said internally screw-threaded portion of said detonator and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by the rotation of said spindle in relation to the body of said shell by said Windvane device during the descent of said shell, and means for preventing the rotation of silid detonator in relation to the body of said s ell.

4. A shell adapted to be discharged from aircraft and comprising a Wind-vane device rotatable in relation to the body of said shell, a spindle xed to said device, a detonator having a screw-connection With said Copies of this patent may be obtained for spindle and adapted to be disengaged from said spindle by rotation of said spindle in relation to said detonator, and means for preventing the rotation of said detonator in relation to the body of said shell, Said spindle having with the body of said shell a screwconnection adapted on rotation of said spindle to cause said spindle to move in relation to said body in the same direction as that in which the aforesaid screw-connection is on the same rotation of said spindle adapted to move said spindle in relation to said detonator.

5. A shell adapted to be discharged from aircraft and comprising a body including a main portion and a tail portion adapted to be readily disconnected from and connected to said main portion, a detonator, a Windvane device rotatable in relation to said body portion, a spindle liXed to said device and mounted in said tail portion, a detonator having a screw-connection With said spindle and adapted to be disengaged from said spindle by rotation of said spindle in relation to said detonator, and a spring catch mounted in said tail portion and engaging in a notch in said detonator.

Signed at 7 5/77 Cornhill, London, Eng., this 27th day of November 1918.

FREDERICK MARTEN HALE.

Witnesses:

WM. A. BROWN, J. M. BERTHCLOT.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

